sales associate

lead supervisor

seasonal associate

cashier

stocking associate

Coach

A typical day at work includes a couple of meetings and/or e-mails/phone calls with cross-functional partners, co-workers, and tanneries to review the current status of leather development, color dips, and sample orders.

Over the past four years in this department, I have gained a vast knowledge of leather. There are very few companies that devote a whole department to materials, let alone one material. There are many experts that have worked in the leather industry and tanneries that I get to work with on a daily basis. They are a great resource for information and advice. I have picked up the following skills: leather sourcing, vendor relationships, leather types and quality, costing, color dipping, lead time, production, and logistics.

Management's role is to initiate the type of leather design would like to use for the collection for the season. They also handle high level responsibilties such as Quality Assurance, warehouse management, bulk production, and costing.
The co-workers at my level and in my department each have a collection that they are responsible for. Co-workers in other departments are my cross-functional partners such as design, costing, and engineering.

A big part of my job is to meet deadlines on the corporate calendar. Leather is needed for various milestones such as design meetings and Market Week. This can be the hardest part of my job as the information is almost always provided after the deadline to place the order. I have to be aware of tannery lead times and capacity. That way the order can be made and shipped by the deadline. Regardless of the timing, I need to keep product development and factories updated with ready dates, ship dates, and tracking information. Also any changes to the aesthetic of the leather such as thickness, grade, size, price, color, etc.

The most enjoyable part of my job is being exposed to new types of leather. There are so many new technologies and trends in the market and I like to be aware of what is current and trending. I also really enjoy the color dipping process. There are times that design receives color submits that does not meet their standard or production comes in off standard. I have to solve the problem by submitting another color dip with the tannery, or analzying the color against the standard to see if there is any room for tolerance. All of this requrires communication with cross-functional partners and a sense of urgency as the color is an integral part of the collection.

When I started working at Coach they did a mass hiring for the holidays so there was at least 30 new people in my department when I started and when I left I was the only one who lasted in my department from that hiring group, and in-between that they where still hiring new people but could not keep them for various reasons. The work is extremely easy. The work load varied some days the work load was steady you would have a lot of work but it would be at a steady pace, other times non existing you would be standing around for hours with nothing to do and many times excessive there would be to much work and not enough workers so they would have to pull people from other departments. And if we didn't have much work they would send you to other departments with little to no direction so you had to figure it out yourself.  For some reason Coach couldn't figure out the ratio of workers needed for the projected production, so eventually they implemented that all departments would be crossed trained in each department so basically you wouldn't know where you would be working each day you come in. Many times while you would be working, random people you don't know (most likely team leads and their helpers form other departments) would just pull you and tell you to go somewhere else you never heard of and when you confirm with your team lead they would be confused but tell you to do it anyway. Basically the management and team leads weren't the best and the workers would have to rely on each other for training in new departments. Your on your feet the whole day so if you never worked warehouse its not going to be a good fit long term. But if you like warehouse work and like moving from different departments with little to no direction it would be a good job for you. Every department is very easy to learn, but Coach has a super high turn over rate because they hire literally anybody and most people work for the holidays only or a couple weeks or a month and find another job. I personally was ok with it after I got used to being pulled every direction. My experience at Coach was good and bad, I would say good because for me the work was easy and my team leads liked me, it was only bad because the pay changed, I don't like being on my feet all day and management was unorganized. 

First of all; If you enjoy the retail industry then you may disagree with what I list as cons.  Also, if you enjoy shopping this may not be the best place to work if you have poor impulse control and like nice things.  

A typical shift consists of going through the conversational motions with every customer who walks into your section and trying to sell them on a bag (preferably with a wallet), then you could be cashiering and running through the company's 7 service commitments. These totems keep the Coach experience consistent and meaningful to the customer. Quite possibly you could also be tasked with unpacking product or replenishing on the floor.  The nice thing is, typically, your jobs and positions will change hourly. Unless you're good at cashiering (i.e. you can run the computer well) then you'll be cashier for the majority of your shift. 

Shifts are all over the place because all associates are listed in various degrees of part-time with caps on the amount of hours they can be scheduled. This can result in being scheduled 0 hours one week and up to your limit the next. The variance in shifts and hours scheduled make having a work/life balance difficult as well as holding down a second job (unless your hour cap is low).  Planning events ahead of time can be very difficult as you won't know it's approved until as late as a week beforehand. 

Turnover is high, because of seasonal hires and the general fluidity of retail. But the people who get hired are generally very conversational and easy to work with -which is honestly the best part of the job. However, clients are generally very difficult.  The clientele ranges from pampered tourists to people who've decided this bag will be their major purchase for the year. The few customers who are polite, genuinely excited to be there and friendly are gems and help to make the days feel worthwhile. 

The employee discount is very good and the product is well made. It makes it very easy to believe in what you're selling. It also makes it far too tempting to buy the product.

Also, there is a dress code and employees are responsible for purchasing their dress code adherent garments out of pocket.

Great place to work part-time or in upper management. Full-time or lower management comes with a lot of stress with average pay. Not somewhere you can work your way up. It seems they like to hire from the outside, they do not prepare people to be promoted, they prefer people to stay stagnant within their job roles. I was able to move from a part-time sales role to an assistant management role with much persistence and excellent performance. I have talent, and my peers and superiors knew it, however, it was made clear that further advancements into upper management rarely happen and shouldn't be expected. This was discouraging. It's a great company with a lot of missing pieces. The product can be hard to sell, as the current designer does not make much of what is on trend, but he likes to create his own trends and the average consumer is not on board with that. Most of the focus is on conversion because of this. There seems to be a disconnect between corporate and stores, they often do things that the customers notice and are upset about (dramatic sale or price changes overnight without warning, product/coupon exclusions), and the stores spend a ridiculous amount of time overcoming objections instead of styling and selling the product. I have worked for the company for almost five years. It's a place you can "be" for while but not somewhere to work forever. Likely the best way to move up is to be recruited by another company and get hired back later- this happens more than you would think. Coach also puts a LOT of pressure on the mystery shop program, which happens quarterly for most stores. The questionnaire is over 70 questions long and it seems like most mystery shoppers don't quite understand what the experience should look like, the questionnaire is confusingly worded, and the results and comments left by the mystery shopper often contradict themselves.

As a Lead Supervisor, I've had the opportunity to witness both the positives and negatives of working at Coach. On the one hand, when we have a strong team, it truly enhances the work environment and makes day-to-day operations smoother. However, the reality is that many staff members often disregard management directives, which complicates our daily tasks and impacts overall productivity.

One of the most significant challenges we face is the scheduling system, particularly for managers. We have split shifts for manager meetings twice a month, but it's frustrating to see that not all managers are treated equally—some receive special treatment regarding their schedules, which creates an air of favoritism. Additionally, the expectation to work six days in a row is common, with only one day off afterwards. This can make it difficult to maintain a work-life balance. If you take a vacation, be prepared to work 6-11 days straight before and after your time off, unless you happen to be the store manager or one of the favored managers.

Favoritism is a recurring theme within the company, which can be demotivating for those of us who put in consistent effort. While there are some excellent benefits available, such as PTO, paid sick time, and paid volunteer time, the situation can feel inequitable. In a high-volume store, management with long tenure often accumulates sick time and vacation, which can leave the rest of the team short-staffed and overburdened. It’s disheartening to see some employees never working weekends while the majority are expected to be available at all times.

In conclusion, while Coach offers great benefits and the potential for a fulfilling work environment, there are significant challenges related to scheduling and management dynamics that can hinder overall job satisfaction. If improvements were made in these areas, it could lead to a more equitable and enjoyable workplace for everyone.

I worked at Coach for over 10 years. I started out as a seasonal associate and worked my way up. I held positions as a cashier, stock associate, and sales associate and was then promoted to Assistant Manager, then Acting Associate Manager. Throughout the first 6 years I worked at Coach, I truly enjoyed my job. The people I worked with were great, the customer were friendly and fun, and management was fair and dedicated. During the last few years thought, things changed in a negative way. Our store manager decided to leave the company and recruited half of our staff while lying to us about it. We were left with a skeletal crew that was overworked and underpaid. The new store manager that was hired was not equip to handle out store at all. She was used to coming to work and having the rest of her team do all of the work and that is not how our store had run previously nor were were staffed to have her come in every day and just sit in the stock room. My happiness plummeted and I was bringing my stress from work home which was affecting my relationship with my brand new husband. It is hard enough working in retail and not having a strong work-life balance, but when you are doing your bosses job day in and day out, it starts to take a toll on you. I ended up deciding to leave Coach without another job lined up because I was that unhappy. If you had asked me 3 years ago if I would recommend Coach, I would give you a resounding yes. Ask me that same question today, and I would tell you absolutely not. The company itself did treat their employees pretty well. Our benefits were amazing, better than most people I know, but our salaries were not competitive. All in all, the store itself is the issue, not the company.

Working at the actual store was great, the veterans were super helpful and nice, although exclusive at times. Managers were helpful, but pretty incompetent at giving out breaks and lunches. They also did not tell me about multiple policies upon my hiring and many of the things in my new hire packet were outdated. I was not told about the allotment of 3 call out days per 6 months we were allowed before we were spoken to about absences. I also did not know that I would not receive a portion of teamshare because I had not passed the 90 day probation period, until I asked another employee why it was our second teamshare since I’d been there, and I hadn’t gotten a check. They also don’t provide any safety training whatsoever, i didn’t even know we had box cutters until i went into the stock room for shipment. I was also injured on the jobnot even two months into my employment. There weren’t any available outlets in the break room and we were not allowed to charge our phones at work because that’s “the company’s energy”. For store meetings, the company gave us a budget of $3 per person for breakfast. We had prepackaged bagels and juice from Sam’s Club, when there was a Noah’s bagels and a Starbucks and a Panera, that all cater. I’m not sure if that was a lack of money, or a lack of planning on their part. The discount was great, and it was easy to get days off. The job itself was also the easiest job I’ve ever done, and I really enjoyed it. I was sad to have to leave. It was pretty competitive for getting top 4 seller every month, and there was a lot of pressure to get more sales, which resulted in a lot of sale stealing.

I really enjoyed working at Coach from the get go. The people were fun, and somewhat intelligent, and the pay was decent for the amount of work involved. As a manager, you are responsible for opening the store, pulling sales reports from the day before, sending corporate contacts weekly updates, filling in sales goals, and ensuring the visuals are accurate and correct. It didn't require a whole lot and got to be repetitive and boring and lacked elevated responsibility. Good luck trying to work your way up in the company. I participated in the internship program and had to use a lot of my own hard earned money to live in NYC because they don't pay for any of it. At the end of the experience, I was disappointed with the entire program and the lack of knowledge I earned. It left me not wanting to work for their corporate office. Once they get you in the position that works best for them, they keep you there and make sure you don't move up in the company. They take advantage of your kindness and loyalty and don't pay it back in return. If upper management doesn't want to listen, good luck getting anyone else to. Certain people can get away with murder and others get reprimanded for little things. If you're a sales associate, it'll be fine, but management on the other hand is more stressful than it should be. I loved working there and met some great people, but at the end of the day, it wasn't rewarding and the upper management really needs to get its act together.

loved the experience as a stepping stone.

i was hired on as seasonal. i applied for part time and was told during the interview that the position was available. (red flag) 

i was told about the benefits and bonus pay i would receive for meeting monthly goals as a team. that encouraged me to work even harder for the team. i later learned that seasonal employees did not get bonus pay despite garnering sales for the team.

i was bullied and harassed by management and long time associates about my appearance, my education, and my lack of store operational skills.

i begged for more training and for some odd reason management didnt want to teach me. when an operational problem occurred i would struggle to get the help i needed. the knowledge i did obtain was gained through ease-dropping.

i was the last member of my group of seasonal hires that did not quit due to the toxic culture. as more new hires arrived i made sure to make them as comfortable as possible. i made sure to feed them all the brand and service skills knowledge i knew.   

there were two mangers who acknowledged my hard work and positive efforts that i was bullied for later by other staff members. ive never encountered this type of toxic culture in my career. 

this experience was the best eye opener in my career and i love that i was able to experience it. it made me appreciate myself and gain a confidence level i didn't know i had. unfortunately after being lied to about my bonus i accepted another job position in management. the weird part was i was congratulated my the very manager who bullied me from day one. 

- look at god

Life balance at retail is always a tricky balance between putting in your time off early and saving your sick time for those unexpected moments. As a seasoned sales associate I have come to learn that you need to schedule a weekend off for your YOU time . Just to be a part of social society. My day consists of checking what my goals are for the day, any returns, and reaching out to clients with follow up thank yous, leather cleanings, new collections and re stocked items from their wishlist.  As with most sales professionals, the client in front of you is the one that matters the most , so everything gets put on pause when clients walk in. 
I’ve worked with 4 different store managers , all have their own positive and negatives . Each stores culture is different depending on the community it serves. Our store is located in a very affluent culturally diverse community, teens have money , cars and don't have to work. We have a lot of clients that shop thee outlet so the assume the same products are in the retail store (they are not) and we are always explaining the difference and ordering those items (saving them the trip to outlet) . There aren’t many difficulties when working with a team that is willing to work together (teamwork makes the team share check work)  Unfortunately in my years there we always seem to have a new sales leader who is management hungry, leading with micro managing vs. being a true leader in shared responsibility and kindness.  Regardless of the different personalities we all share the love for the brand and the people we meet each day. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Sales associate 70 salaries reported	$16.45 per hour
Lead supervisor 39 salaries reported	$20.84 per hour
Seasonal associate 10 salaries reported	$16.79 per hour
Cashier 8 salaries reported	$16.19 per hour
Stocking associate 6 salaries reported	$16.79 per hour

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